Weft-replenishing mechanism for looms.



No. 871,447. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

F. P. ROGERS.

WEPT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

A'PPLIUATION FILED 00125, 1906.

2'SHEETSSHEET 1.

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No. 871,447. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

' F. P. ROGERS.

WEFT RBPLBNISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLIOATION FILED 001225, 1906.

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W finesses Inventor R6 BTW. Fr'nk P. R ers.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. ROGERS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

WEFT-REPLENISHIN G MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed October 25. 1906. Serial No. 340,500.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. RoGnRs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of \Vorcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have in- ,vented a new and useful Improvement in aWeft-Replenishing Mechanism for Looms, of which the following is aspecification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, inwhich Figure .1 represents a front elevation of one end of a loom, thoseparts being shown in detail which are directly concerned with my presentinvention. Fig. 2 is a top view on a larger scale of the shuttle boxdetached from a loom, and showing a shuttle partially withdrawn from thelower cell of the box. Fig. 3 is a top view of that end of the loomshownin Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are front and top views respectively ofthe shuttle box detached from the loom. Fig. 6 is a detached and endview of the shuttle box showing the end farthest from the loom side.Fig. 7 is a detached end view of the shuttle box showin the end nearestthe loom side, and Fig. 8 s hows a detail of construction.

Similarreference letters and figures refer to similar parts in thedifferent views.

It is theobject of my present invention to rovide a simple and efficientmeans for rep enishing the weft by the operator during the continuedoperation of the loom, without the use of complicated mechanism or theemployment of separate receptacles for holding the spare or spentshuttles other than the box employed in the operation of weaving.

I am aware that it is not new to provide means for. replenishing theshuttle with weft prior to the total exhaustion of the weft from theshuttle without stopping the loom, but

in devices for this purpose a receptacle for a shuttle is providedindependent of and in addition to the cells of a movable shuttle boxwhich are operative during the process of weaving, and requiring more orless complicated mechanism to transfer the shuttle to and from theoperative shuttle boxes.

In accomplishing the object of my invention I employ a movable shuttlebox at one end of the loom having at least two cells,

but more may be used if required, all of which areiprovided withadequate shuttle binders, and are operative during the process ofweaving, and I provide means for the removal of a spent shuttle throughthe top of the upper cell, and for the insertion of a spare shuttle intothe lower cell, with means, manually controlled at will, for bringingeither of the cells of the movable shuttle box into alinement with theraceway of the lay. Aside from the construction of the movable shuttlebox and means for moving it, my improvements necessitate no change inthe construction and operation of the other parts of the loom, which maybe of any known type.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented only such p'ortions ofthe loom as are necessary to illustrate the nature and mode of operationof my present improvement. The movable shuttle box which embodies theprincipal features of my improvement may be used' at either end of theloom and the opposite end of the loom may be provided with a plainshuttle box, if a single shuttle is to be used, or with a movableshuttle box having a multiplicity of cells in case more than one shuttleis to be used. In the accompanying drawings I have represented a movableshuttle box embodyin my improvement as applied to the left hand end ofthe loom in Figs. 1 and 3, while in the remaining figures of thedrawings I have shown the shuttle box on a larger scale and detachedfrom the loom for the purpose of better illustrating the construction ofthe shuttle box by which shuttles are inserted and removed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 denotes a portion of a loomside, 2 the breast beam, 3 the hand rail, 4 one of the lay swordspivoted on a rock shaft 5 and supporting the lay beam having a raceway 6for the running shuttle. Supported at one end of the lay are ways 7 and8 for a movable shuttle box 9, carried upon abox rod lOwhich may beprovided with any known means for raising and lowering the shuttle boxin its ways. In the present instance the box rod 10 is supported by theslotted end 11 of a bell crank lever 12, pivoted at 13. The bell cranklever 12 is provided with a handle 14 in convenient position to beseized by'the operator. Mounted upon the framework of the lay is a plate15 curved concentrically with the pivot 13, and provided with notchesthe upper or lower cell of the shuttle box in alinement with the racewayof the lay.

The shuttle box 9, in the present instance, is provided with two cells,that number only being. necessary when a single shuttle is to be used.The upper cell 19 is provided with the usual shuttle binder 20, pivotedat 21 and.

provided with the ordinary binder spring 22. The upper cell is providedwith a cover 23 hinged at one end at 24 to the body of the shuttle, andprovided at its opposite end with a latch'25, provided with a knob 26 bywhich the latch may be released and the cover raised by the operator toallow a shuttle 27 to be removed from the top of the cell. The lowercell 28 of the shuttle box is provided with a shuttle binder 29 having aspring 30 rigidly attached at 31. to the center of the binder and actingagainst a pin 32 car ried by the shuttle box. The front of the shuttlebox opposite the lower cell 28 is provided with a-forwardly projectingbracket 33, consisting of the two slotted arms 34, 34, united at theirouter ends by a cap piece 35. One end of the binder 29 is pivoted in amovable frame 36, with the pivotal pin 37 of the binder extending intothe slots 38 of'the arms 34. Swiveled in the frame 36 is a spindle 39having a handle 40 and inclosed by a spiral spring 41 interposed betweenthe cap piece 35 and the frame 36, in order to hold the pivoted end ofthe binder 29 in position against the frame of the shuttle box. Theshuttle box is provided with an opening 42 adjacent to the pivoted endof the binder 29 to allow for the insertion of a shuttle endwise whenthe pivoted end of the binder 29 is drawn away from the shuttle box inthe position shown in Fig. 2, which is accomplished by means of thehandle 40'and spindle 39 which slides in the cap piece 35. As thepivoted end of the binder is drawn forward the spiral spring 41 iscompressed, and the tension of the spring when the handle 40 isreleased, serves to restore the binder to its normal position. Thespindle 39 is provided onone side with a spline 43 and by drawing thespline entirely through the opening 44 in the cap piece 35 the spindle39 may be turned a partial revolution in order to lock the spindleagainst the tension of the sprin 41 and permanently hold the binder awayfrom the shuttle box during the insertion of a shuttle, which is enteredendwise behind the binder 9 in the position shown by the shuttle 45,

The cover 23 of the upper cell 19 is provided near its pivoted end witha cam plate 46 curved concentrically with the pivot of the hinge 24, andhaving its free end slightly beveled at 47 to form a cam surface whichenters behind the free end of the upper shuttle binder 20, as thecover23 is raised, and serves to force the end of the shuttle binder outwardagainst the tension of the spring 22 and re lieve the shuttle held inthe upper cell from the pressure of the binder, and facilitating theremoval of the shuttle.

The operation of my improved weft replenishing device is as follows:During the operation of weaving with a full shuttle, the movableshuttle box 9 is lowered to bring the upper cell 19 in alinement withthe raceway of the lay. The pivoted end of the lower shuttle binder 29is Withdrawn from the front of the box by pulling the handle 40 into theposition shown in Fig. 2. The handle 40 and its connected spindle 39 isthen rotated slightly to bring the spline 43 out of alinement with theopening 44, causing the end of the spline to abut against the cap piece35 and hold the shuttle binder from being retracted by the tension ofthe spiral spring 41. The withdrawal of the pivoted end of the binderprovides sufficient space with. the opening 42 for the insertion of afilled shuttle endwise, as shown in Fig. 2. The spring 41 is thenreleased by turning the spindle 39 to bring the spline 43 again inalinement with the opening 44 in the cap piece 35, causing the pivotedend of the binder to be carried into and held. in its normal position,as shown in Fig. 5. The process of weaving is then allowed to continueuntil the bobbin of the through the top of the box by lifting the cover23. The box may then be lowered at the convenience of the weaverbringing the upper cell 19 again into alinement with the raceway of thelay and rendering the lower cell 28 inoperative for the insertion ofanother shuttle.

I claim,

1. In a loom, a lay, a movable shuttle box having a multiplicity ofoperative cells, in difierent horizontal planes, an opening in the topof the uppermost of said cells provided with a removable cover, for theremoval of a shuttle from said upper most cell, an opening in one of thelower cells for the insertion of a shuttle, and 'means for moving saidshuttle box.

2. In a loom, a lay, a vertically reciprocating shuttle box having amultiplicity of operative cells, means for reciprocating said shuttlebox, an opening in the top of said shuttle box for the removal of ashuttle from the uppermost cell, and a removable cover for said opening.

3. In a loom, a lay, a shuttle box having I removalof an exhaustedshuttle, one of the lower of said cells provided with an opening for theinsertion of a full shuttle, and means for rendering said upper andlowercells inoperative during said removal and insertion.

4. In a loom, a lay, a movable shuttle box having two cells one abovethe other, the upper of said cells provided with an opening in its topfor the removal of a shuttle, a shuttle binder for said upper cell,means for moving said shuttle binder out of contact with the shuttle insaid upper cell, and means for bringing either of said cells intoalinement with the raceway of the lay at will.

5. In a loom, a lay, a movable shuttle box -having two cells one abovethe other, means for bringing either of said cells into alinement withthe raceway of the lay at will,

a shuttle binder for the uppermost cell, a'

for bringing either of said cells into aline ment with the raceway ofthe lay at will, a pivoted .shuttle binder for the lower cell, and meansfor moving the pivoted end of said shuttle binder away from the shuttlebox, thereby forming an opening for the insertion of a shuttle.

7. In a loom, a lay, a movable shuttle box having two cells one abovethe other, means for bringing either of said cells into alinementwiththe raceway of the lay, a hinged cover for the to of the uppermost cell,and means ,for holding said cover normally in position,

8. In a loom, a lay, a movable shuttle box having two cells one aboveanother, means for bringing either of said cells into alinement with theraceway of the lay, a hinged cover for the uppermost of said cells, ashuttle binder for the uppermost cell, and an arm carried by said coverto contact with said shuttle binder as the cover is raised and torelieve the pressure of the binder.

9. In a loom, a lay, a movable shuttle box having two cells one abovethe other, means for bringing either of said cells into alinement withthe raceway of the lay, a pivoted shuttle binder for the lowermost cell,means for withdrawing the pivoted end of the binder away from theshuttle box, and means for locking the binder in its withdrawn position.

10. In a loom, a lay, a movable shuttle box having two cells one abovethe other, means for moving either of said cells into alinement with theraceway of the lay, a shuttle binder for the lowermost cell, means forwitlnilrawing one end of said binder away from the shuttle box, meansfor holding the binder in its withdrawn position to allow a shuttle tobe inserted, and a spring for restoring the binder to its normalposition.

11. In a loom,' a lay, a movable shuttle box having two cells one abovethe other, means for moving either of said cells into alinement with theraceway of the lay, a shuttle binder for each of said cells, means forrelieving the pressure of each of said binders at will, an opening inthe top of the uppermost cell for withdrawing a shuttle, and means forclosing said opening to render the cell operative during weaving.

12. In a loom, a lay, a movable shuttle box comprising two operativecells one above the other, the upper cell provided with an opening inits top for the removal of a shuttle and the lower cell provided with anopen ing in its front for the insertion of a shuttle, and means forbringing either of said cells RUFUS B. FowLEE, PENELOPE COMBERBACII.

